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Blue-throated Flycatcher

Unlike the other recent Blue-throated, this bird seems to have an all-blue throat. Rubeculoides is the only subspecies of Blue-throated to have an all-blue throat, but should be brighter orange on the breast than this bird (with the orange more clearly defined). Chinese Blue (glaucicomans) and (I think) Blue-throated dialilaema would have a much wider orange wedge, easily visible from this angle. The orange wedge on Blue-throated klossi can be difficult to see, but I think would still be visible at this angle.

Based on this photo, I would consider this most likely to be Hainan Blue. Perhaps a first-winter male still with some retained juvenile breast feathers? Do you have any more photos to confirm the pattern of blue on the breast/throat?

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But I understand both dialilaema and rogersi should also have the orange wedge on the throat to at least some extent. If so, it can't be either of those. The blue on this bird seems to me to be even more extensive even than rubeculoides.

I accept the argument that the division between blue and orange is fairly well-defined on this bird, but I still think this could be a moulting Hainan Blue. Is the extent of blue really a problem? I have trapped a blue hatch-year male HBF in mid-September which had completed body moult (aged by retained primaries/secondaries and primary coverts and juvenile-type spots on inner tertials). I will check to see if I have photos of that bird.

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